The Irish standard., 1887-08-06

!, The London Times . to b
Sued by Frank Hugh
O'Donnell.
IAN OPEN LETTER 70 THE TIMES
Explicit Retraction Of the Libel, and Sin
cere Apologies is What MI.
i O'Donnell Wants.
4 The following appears in the LondOl
Daily News OF recent date:--Mr. T.
i II. O'Donnell, late M. P. for Dungar-
van, has sent to the Times a letter, 0j
which the following are the concluding
passages
ssNow, sir, / shall afford you the pleas.
ure Of having your jury. Only with
this little qualifcation--that you are tc
be sifted down to the reasonable pro
portions which will allow twelve indif
7 ferentIy chosen citizens. even though
devoid of special political aptitudes, to
ente1tain no doubt whatever upon the
character of your proceedings. What
the House Of Commons, or 50 much OF
the best part Of it, failed 10 do, have
contriyed TO effect. Or. rather, you
have done it yourself. III your eager
ness to crush my interposition you have
{ ifcS roi,x t!10
result in the refined gold Of that most
iibe)lous article against me in
your issue of the 18th, inst,
! which WAS your truculent reply
reply to an inoffensive correction Of one
! Of vour fundamental mis-statements Of
matters of f. ct. That was q great
srror of strategy on your part Within
the four corners Of that perfect infala-
ous libel, almost every sentence is
gross, tangible, and horrible lie OF tbs
suggestion Of il. Every lie is solld and
circumstantial, and definitely localized;
and, mark me, you shall prove every
one Of them home. There is not one Of
them situated in foreign parts. They
all purport to narrate transactions here
at our own doors. When / step into
the witness box, you will not find one
wished for pretext FOR confusing the is
sue by single transatlantic episode.
You shall be allowed to bulge not one
inch out.of British soil, British know.
ledge, British experience. You shall
be allowed to promenade the jury not
over to Chicago, nor Poker Flat nor
the Great Wall OF China. What You
haye said you shall stick to. You have
libellously described me as resorting to
most dishonest 'quibbles' on Irrelevant
matter, in order to disguise my 'relu:t-
ance or inability to meet YOUR state
ments. You shall prove it. You have
}ibell0usly declared me to have been for
years in your very city of London the
colleague of murderers. You shall
proveit to a jury of London. You have
libellously connected me with the con-
cealment, here in your city Of London,
Of the tools of intended assassination.
You shall prove it TO ajury Of London.
You have libellously connected me with
your lying story that here in London,
Charles Stewart Parnell knowingly sup
piled funds for the object Of saving
naurderers from the reach OF justice.
You shall prove it to p jury Of London.
81 give you, indeed, one alternative.
( show you one measure Of mercy. Con-
sidering that tits at least psychologi-
cally conceivable that-judging by your
rayings-you are to some extent liable
to be the dupe Of you insane prejudice,
I allow ycu one week to adopt the fol-
lowing alternative
j Explicit retraction Of the libel, and
sincere apologies to me and my former
colleagues.
20. Explicit and humble apology to
the public opinion of England, which
sou have endeayorel to enyenom for
the purpose of setting people against
people aud nation against nation; and
''2. AS q material confirmation Of
these retractions and apologies, and as !
a partial compensation for your horri |
BILE practices against Christian and
civic charity and fellowship, payment !
Of the sum.of 100000 for charitable. Oh
jects within the metropolis Of London
without distinction Of religious denona-
nations.
"Fhis is my reply to your Insulting
challenge for exclamation. You will I
have ample opportunity for letting me
know whatyon think Of it before twelve
good citizens OF London. Perhaps you
will allow me to Intimate suspicion.
finally, that you may be found to be as
well disposed to shirk trial by jury as
by Parliament. I haYe.
The honor to remain your obedlent ser
vant,
f. HUGH O'DoNNELL,
Ex- Vice President and Hon. Secretary
of Home Rule Confederation Of Great
Britain;